Arsene Wenger refused to single out goalkeeper Petr Cech as being at fault for the goals conceded during Arsenal’s 2-0 loss to West Ham.
The manager did, however, acknowledge that his side lacked defensive organisation in conceding “soft” strikes as their Barclays Premier League campaign began with defeat.
Having spent £10million to recruit Cech from Chelsea this summer, there was a belief that Arsenal could again challenge for the title because defensive lapses would no longer be a serious problem.
However, the Czech goalkeeper looked unconvincing for both Cheikhou Kouyate’s and Mauro Zarate’s finishes, and his arrival at the Gunners appears to have corrected little so far.
“I haven’t spoken to Cech,” Wenger said. “I can’t see many convincing individual performances today. It’s difficult to see beyond that.
“It’s not only him. We have experience along the back-line. “It was a collective lapse. There are many things to say about that. I know we were in trouble even before the free-kick was taken.”
The result and performance again suggested Arsenal need to strengthen before they can hope to win the league for the first time since 2004, but Wenger, who has repeatedly been linked with a transfer for Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, reiterated he is unlikely to make further signings.
“I can only repeat: if an exceptional solution turns up we do it. But after a defeat like that it’s important not to think we must take a solution from outside,” said the Frenchman, despite a disappointing display from first-choice striker Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott having already been dropped.
“I would like to think we are responsible to buy the people and the coaches, and not the media. We have to look at ourselves and think we were not good enough.”
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Credit: TalkSport